Expression of a PYCARD/ASC variant lacking exon 2 in Japanese patients with palindromic rheumatism increases interleukin-1β secretion.

Background: Palindromic rheumatism (PR) is a rare periodic arthritis characterized by relapsing short episodes of arthritis. Although the pathogenesis of PR is still unclear, the clinical condition is similar to that of autoinflammatory diseases caused by dysregulation of inflammasome-related genes.

Objective: We analyzed the inflammasome adapter PYD and CARD domain-containing protein/apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (PYCARD/ASC) in Japanese patients with PR.

Involvement of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in methotrexate-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a pivotal event in the development of pulmonary fibrosis. We have previously reported that methotrexate (MTX)-induced alveolar epithelial cell injury followed by pulmonary fibrosis as a result of the recruitment and proliferation of myofibroblasts. However, there is no data concerning whether EMT occurs in MTX-induced pulmonary fibrosis.